Generation of persistent disabling gases



Sept. 20, 1932. B. c. GOSS GENERATION OF PERSISTENT DISABLIING' GASES Filed July 13. 1951 Invert/for: .B yron G. 6066;

Patented Sept. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES BYRON C. GOSS, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO GENERATION OF PERSISTENT DISABLIN G GASES 7 Application filed July 13, 1931.

This invention relates to disabling and irritating gases and gas mixtures, and to gas generating chemicals of the type which produce, or which may be readily converted into, disabling and irritating gases which will persist for a relatively long period of time, and which when inhaled cause intense burning and extremely oppressive pains across the chest, and violent headache in the front part of the head; the inhaled gases also cause violent nausea and vomiting and temporarily completely incapacitates a person; but the disabling effects of such inhaled gas pass off after a time so that an individual inhaling the same is not permanently injured thereby.

It has frequently happened that bandits and others have broken into bank safes, vaults, post offices, jewelry stores, etc., which have been provided with gas protection systems, and have succeeded in committing unlawful acts because the particular gas used did not sufliciently punish the bandits or others, or because the effects of the gas did not persist for a sufficiently long period of time, or because the bandits wore gas masks, or because the bandits left when the gas was evolved, and returned later. After having left the scene of the unlawful act, it is frequently diflicult to apprehend the persons committing the same, whereas if he had been made so very sick that it would not be possible for him to leave the premises for a considerable time, his capture at the scene of the unlawful act would have been more probable.

An object of the invention is to provide a chemical charge which will produce a disabling gas that will so completely incapacitate a lawbreaker that he will be unable to leave the scene of his unlawful acts for some time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chemical charge which will produce' a disabling gas that will so completely incapacitate a person that the police authorities will be aided in the capture of criminals at the scene of an attempted crime by rendering said criminals physically incapable of resistin arrest.

A urther object of the invention is to provide a chemical charge which will pro- Serial No. 550,600.

duce a disabling gaseous mixture which is intolerable in exceedingly low concentrations, so that the gas which is rapidly dispersed through the atmosphere by the heat and pressure generated by the force of the explosion which discharges and volatilizes the mass of chemicals liberating the gas will rapidly be effective in all parts of the room in which the gas was dispersed, or when discharged in the open air will be rapidly dispersed and render a considerable area intolerable, and thereby disperse or disable a. large mob of people.

A further object is to provide a chemical charge which will produce a disabling gas mixture which will liberate a disabling gas or gases, a part of which will act suddenly, and another part will have a delayed action, and that will persist in its disabling qualities for a relatively long period of time.

A further object is to provide a chemical charge which will produce a disabling gas which so completely incapacitates the person inhaling the same that he will become very sick and suffer considerable pain, so much so that the person will be compelled to lie down, and will be unable to complete his unlawful acts, and will be unable to leave the premises for some time, thereby increas ing the probability of his capture at the scene of his unlawful acts.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide cartridges, hand grenades, and similar devices with the herein described gas generating chemicals which may be discharged automatically or by hand, so that such cartridges, etc., may be used in existing installations of gas protection.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are longitudinal sectional views of cartridges containing different types of charges of gas generating chemicals; and

Fig. 4 is a view, partly in section, of a hand grenade containing a charge of the gas generating chemicals described herein.

In Fig. 1, a cartridge shell 1 is provided with a primer 2, a charge of propellant powder, for example smokeless powder 3, a wad 4, a layer of gas generating chemical, for example, diphenylamine-chlorarsine 5, a

wad 6, a gelatine or other suitable capsule containing chloracetophenone or other disabling and irritating chemical or mixture of such chemicals in a suitable solvent such as ethylbromacetate, or mixture of solvents 7, a wad 8, a seal 9, and a suitable cushion lining 10.

In Fig. 2, the propellant smokeless owder, is mixed with the gas generating c emical, for example, diphenylamine-chlorarsine 12, a wad 13, a cushion 14, and a capsule 15, containing chloracetophenone or other disabling chemical dissolved in ethylbromacetate or other solvent.

In Fig. 3, the propellant, smokeless powder 17, is separated by a wad 18 and cushion 19, from the capsule 20 containing a solution of a gas generating chemical, for example, diphenylamine-chlorarsine in crotonaldehyde, ethyl mercaptan, furfural, etc., or a mixture of suitable solvents. Or the solution in 15 may consist of diphenylaminechlorarsine and chloracetophenone in crotonaldehyde or other solvent or mixture of solvents as described herein.

In Fig. 4:, a grenade body 25 is provided with holes or vents 26, sealed with a soft fusible metal seal 27, and then filled with a charge consisting of gas generating chemicals, for example, diphenylamine-chlorarsine, and chloracetophenone, and smokeless powder 28, covered with a starting composition 29, which may consist of smokeless powder and celluloid, and the fuse head 30 attached, the fuse head is provided with a match-head 31 which is in close proximity to the starting composition. When the grenade is used, the pin 32 is withdrawn and the grenade immediately thrown, whereupon it goes off, the seal 27 bursts, and the generated gas liberated and dispersed by the heat and pressure of the explosion.

The gas generating chemicals used in this invention are preferably diphenylaminechlorarsine, which has a delayed action, and chloracetophenone, which acts suddenly, either singly, or combined, dissolved to about concentration in a suitable solvent, or they may be suspended in a solution of, for example, methylbromacetate, ethylbromacetate, bromacetone, benzylbromide, brombenzylcyanide, crotonaldehyde, monochlorpinacolone, furfural, chlor-methyl-chloroformate, chloracetotoluene, tetrachlorethane, ethyl, iodoacetate, ethyl-mercaptan, phenyl-iso-cyanide, or a mixture of two or more of the above solvents may be used, for example, a half and half mixture of ethylbromacetate and ethyl mercaptan. The solution of chemicals is suitably enclosed in capsules which are placed in cartridges, etc., which are provided with propellant and heat generating explosives, which latter when fired, volatilize and rapidly disperse the generated gases over a large area, and render the atmosphere intolerable even at such low concentrations of the dispersed gas or gases as 0.02 mg. per liter of air for one minute exposure, or 0.0003 milligrams per liter of air for ten minutes of exposure, the concentration varying with the volume of the space into which the gases had been dispersed. A person exposed to such a low concentration of the dispersed gas generated by the chemicals described herein would be severely punished, the inhaled gas causing nausea and vomiting, accompanied with an intense burning sensation and extremely oppressive pain across the chest, and also in most cases a violent headache in the front part of the head. The result of such exposure would be that the person would be unable to leave the place of the unlawful act but would become so violently sick that he would be compelled to lie down and be entirely incapable of resisting capture for sometime. Ordinary gas masks in general use do not entirely protect the wearer against gases containing diphenylamine-chlorarsine.

The chemicals may be used in the following general proportions, solid gas generating chemicals, as diphenylamine-chlorarsine, and chloracetophenone, from about 20 percent to about 35 percent singly, or from about 10 percent to about 20 percent of each of the above chemicals mixed; the balance to conslst of a solvent, which may be a slngle or mixed solvent.

In Fig. 1, about 25 percent by weight of diphenylamine-chlorarsine is used, and about 75 percent of smokeless powder, as illustrated; the solution in the capsule 7 may contain from 25 percent to 50 percent of chloracetophenone and about 7 5 percent to 50 percent of solvent, for example ethylbromacetate, or crotonaldehyde, or other solvent, singly or mixed, as described herein.

' In Fig. 2, about 25 percent by weight of diphenylamine-chloral-sine is mixed with about 75 percent of smokeless powder; the solution in the capsule may be the same as in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 3, the charge of smokeless powder 17 need not necessarily contain any of the gas generating chemical but it may do so; the capsule 20 preferably contains about 25 percent of diphenylamine-chlorarsine and about 75 percent of solvent, or the capsule 20 may contain about 15 percent of diphenylamine-chlorarsine and about 15 percent of chloracetophenone, and about percent of solvent, which latter may be any of those described herein, for example, ethyl mercaptan, or furfural, or any of the others described herein.

In Fig. 4, the charge in the grenade contains about 25 percent of diphenylaminechlorarsine and about 7 5 percent of smoke less powder; the charge may also contain from 15 to 20 percent of diphenylamine chlorarsine, and about the same quantity of chloracetophenone and the balance of smokeless powder. The charge is covered with a starting composition 29 as described above.

I claim 1. A receptacle containing gas generating chemicals capable of developing persistent disabling gases, consisting of diphenylaminechlorarsine in proximity to an explosive, and a capsule containing dissolved gas generating chemicals, said gas generating chemicals adapted to be volatilized and dispersed by said explosive.

2. A receptacle containing gas generating V chemicals capable of developing persistent disabling gases, consisting of diphenylaminechlorarsine associated with a liquid containing chloracetophenone, and an explosive.

3. A receptacle containing gas generating chemicals capable of developing persistent disabling gases, consisting of from 20 percent to 35 percent of diphenylamine-chlorarsine associated with a 'liquid containing chloracetophenone, and an explosive.

4. A receptacle containing disabling gas generating chemicals capable of developing persistent disabling gases, and an explosive, said explosive adapted to volatilize said chemicals and disperse the disabling gases generated, one of said gases having a delayed disabling action, and another of said gases having a rapid disabling action, upon being inhaled.

5. A mixture of gas generating chemicals consisting of diphenylamine-chlorarsine, and chloracetophenone and an explosive, said chemicals upon volatilizat-ion generating a mixed persistent disabling gas which is effective in a concentration of 0.02 milligrams per liter after an exposure of one minute, and at a concentration of 0.0003 milligrams per liter after an exposure of ten minutes.

In testimony whereof I hereby aflix my signature 7 BYRON O. GOSS. 

